Dante Scarnecchia comes out of retirement
The one thing that never retired was the "game face." Dante Scarnecchia still has it, and is back willing to help his former employer.
Dante Scarnecchia is on our flight to Indy. Wonder if he’s going to help the #Patriots sort through the OL prospects
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) February 17, 2015
Jeff Pini, Boston:
Dante Scarnecchia is in Indianapolis with the Patriots for the NFL Scouting Combine, and will reportedly remain with the team as an advisor through the conclusion of the draft on May 2.
When the "sky was falling" after the New England Patriots were crushed by the Kansas City Chiefs, 41-14 in Week 4, the name of Dante Scarnecchia was all over the talk shows. QB Tom Brady wouldn't make it through the year because the offensive line was in such disarray. Scarnecchia had been the Patriots' offensive line coach for the past 15 years. Only Dante could fix the problem. One other small problem was that Dante had retired in 2014.
The new offensive line coach, Dave DeGuglielmo created a cohesive unit following some early season difficulties in 2014. The insertion of Bryan Stork at center solidified the line with the end result being a Super Bowl crown. The O-line also had to deal with the preseason trade of OG Logan Mankins to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It all worked out with QB Tom Brady being sacked only once against the Seattle Seahawks defensive juggernaut in Super Bowl XLIX.
With a possible restructure in the offensive line forthcoming due to free agency(Dan Connolly) and possible salary relief(Nate Solder), it is good idea to have a familiar face imparting his wisdom. For Patriots' owner Bob Kraft, Super Bowl L is a big deal. Paying a few month's salary for some coaching expertise is just "the cost of doing business."
Alex Marvez, FoxSports:
New Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is adding three new members to his staff, including one with direct ties to the New England Patriots "Spygate" scandal.
A source told FOX Sports that Quinn has hired Steve Scarnecchia,(assistant to the head coach).
The whole family is fully employed. Good employees are hard to keep.
Paul Murphy is a freelance writer from New Hampshire.
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